Camera shutters



Feb. 9, 1965 A. R. NORDEN ETAL CAMERA SHUTTERS Filed April 11, 1961 4 FIGJ 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl/axander $1???) Paul 6: Ala/fill mjWm-x ATTORNEY 1965 A. R. NORDEN ETAL 3,168,856

CAMERA SHUTTERS Filed April 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.7

66 INVENTORS 14/610006 Z /V0/'02W 2 2 m a 4 ATTORNEV United States Patent 3,168,856 CAMERA SHUTTERS 1 Alexander R. Norden, New York, and Paul S. Martin, Flushing, N .Y., assignors to American Foto Patrol Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 102,266 4 Claims. (Cl. 95-11) The present invention relates to cameras and, more particularly, to cameras adapted to make two separate exposures concurrently. The disclosed camera is adapted to register the image of a fast-moving object in a short-time exposure and to register the image of data related to the moving object in the same operation. While the camera is specially suitable for this purpose, it will be apparent that the novel concepts involved have more general application, the disclosed camera being exemplary but illustrative.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a camera having respective picture-taking and data: registering optical systems related to produce images at closely adjacent areas of a common exposure frame, in which each optical system has its own shutter that is distinctively adapted to provide the exposure time appropriate to the respective exposures to be made. A feature of the invention is that separate shutters and different types of shutters are provided for each optical system. Each shutter is compatible with the space limitations of the optical systems and with the respective widely different exposure times that may be necessary for the two images. The illustrative mechanism detailed below involves an electromagnet and a return spring that constitute a common actuator for both shutters. One shutter includes a blade with a hole that moves into and out of line with a lens aperture to make a short-time exposure,

and this shutter includes a capping blade for avoiding a' second exposure during the return stroke of the apertured shutter blade. The second shutter involves a blade that is removed from the data aperture during the operation I of the electromagnet, the exposure time being governed accordingly, and the second shutter being spring-returned.

The data optical system involves two mirrors, one mirror to insure projection of the data image immediately next to the picture of the other optical'systern and the other mirror to correct the mirror image that would result (compared to the directly projected picture image) were only one mirror employed. The data shutter is interposed between the two mirrors, and is in a plane transverse'to the image plane at the film, while the picture shutter is parallel to the image plane.

In such an organization it is contemplated that the data shutter could be an upstanding integral projection of a picture-shutter blade, but since the picture shutter blades move in an arc, the data shutter blade would need complementary curved stationary members which involve certain manufacturing complications. The data shutter in the camera detailed below uses a separate shutter blade that works against a flat data aperture plate.

It is desirable that the picture shutter be acuated at high speed. A specific feature of the invention resides in the coordination of the data shutter to the picture shutter such that opening of the data shutter does not impede the operation of the picture shutter. This is achieved by a mechanical drive coupling from the picture shutter to the data shutter that closes the latter during the return stroke of the actuating mechanism. During the high-speed forward stroke of the picture shutter, the data shutter opens as a result of its own spring bias acting as the drive coupling (a cam and cam follower in this case) is withdrawn. The data shutter thus operates without impeding the picture shutter operation.

The nature of the invention, and its further objects and novel features will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying draw ings forming part of this disclosure. In the drawings:

IG. 1 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, shown partly in cross-section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the shutter mechanism, as viewed from the plane 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a View of the shutter mechanism, partly in section, as viewed from the plane 33 in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3, showing the shutter parts in different phases of their operation;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation "of the data-shutter mechanism, as viewed from the plane tz6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-section at the plane 77 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the camera exterior involves a front plate It bearing a lens assembly 12 for photographing objects in front of the camera and normally at some distance away from the camera. Immediately behind front plate 10, and sealed in a light-tight front compartment, is a shutter mechanism. The rear section 14 of the camera contains the film-feeding mechanism and a film-chamber for supply and take-up rolls of film F. At the bottom of the camera and facing to the rear is a window 13 which is directed toward an external data display area.

The camera body includes a dividing wall 24 which has side walls extending integrally to form a front compartr'nent. The shutter mechanism and the optical systems are in front of this dividing wall and the film-feeding mechanism is behind this wall. The data image is admitted through window 18, and is reflected from frontsurfaced mirror at to data lens 28. The data image passes through an aperture 3%) in a wall 32 that is secured to front plate it). The edges of wall 32 advantageously have soft gasketing material closing any'edge-separation from front compartment wall 24 and the lateral side walls of the front compartment. Data shutter 34 normally blocks aperture 39, but when data shutter 34 moves away, the data image is reflected by fron -surface mirror 36 through a data-image opening 33 to the film plane at the back surface of divider 24.

A picture is projected by lens assembly 12 through opening 39 in front-plate It) and opening 46 in the wall 24 to reach a portion of the exposure area immediately adjacent to the data opening '38. Openings 38 and 40 are actually formed as a single frame, divided by a shield 42.

Two normally closed shutters block the light path from picture lens 12 and data lens 23 to the exposure frame. Aperture 39 in front plate 10 is normally blocked off by shutter blade 42. Shutter blade 42 has a fixed or pivot 44 in the form of a fixed shouldered and headed rivet, and shutter blade .2 is biased against plate in at this pivot by a compression spring on surrounding this rivet. Rigidly fixed to shutter blade 42. is a 'stud in the form of a nylon sleeve 48. A pair of nylon bumpers Stl and 52 provide limit stops for the operating stroke of shutter blade 42,. e

A rotary solenoid 54 mounted .on bracket 56 has its rotary armature rigidly connected to an actuating arm 58 that moves in a power stroke from the solid-line position represented in FIG. 3 to and slightly beyond the solid-line position represented in FIG. 4. Arm 5% and the rotary solenoid are operated through their return stroke by tension spring 69. Arm 5% has a clearance slot 62 for pivot 44 and spring 45 of the shutter blade 42.

During the initial part of its operating stroke, arm 53 moves idly, insofar as shutter 42 is concerned; but when portion 53a. reaches shutter stud 43, the shutter blade is suddenly impelled at high speed. Because the radius of shutter part 43 about its pivot 44 is only about half the radius of actuating part 58a about its pivot 5311, the shutter blade is given an angular acceleration and brought up to twice the angular speed as the actuator. 53. As a result, when hole 42a in shutter blade 42 crosses the aper ture 39 in plate lit, the shutter open time is extremely brief. Actuator 58 has a capping-blade portion 53c; but this portion assumes the dotted-line position represented in FIG. 3 at the time that the forward motion of shutter blade 42 commences. Consequently, capping blade portion 58c does not interfere with the exposure.

As seen in FIG. 4, actuator 5S continues to drive shutter blade 42 until shutter-blade aperture 42a has traveled eyond the lens aperture 39.

Shutter blade42 remains in the-dotted-line position represented in FIG, 4 during the initial phase of the return motion of actuator 53. Shutter stud 48 is engaged by returning actuator 53 at a time when capping portion 580 has just'corne into line with opening 39. Thereafter, shutter hole 42a moves toward and across lens aperture 39 at approximately twice the angular speed of actuator 58, During this shutter motion, capping portion 58c blocks lens opening 39, avoiding a second exposure.

By virtue of the mechanism described, the shutter-open time for lens 12 is extremely short This is important in stopping motion of high-speed objectstobe photographed. The taking of the data image, however, is quite different. It is desirable to usea small lens opening 3t and a long exposure time in recording data, both because the data isfrequently available as a low-brightness subject, and becausesharpness of focus is best obtained with a small aperture, particularlyflwhen a simple meniscus lens is used. Consequently, the data shutter open time should be relatively long. This is achieved in the present invention by'actuating shutter blade 34 to uncover data aperture 30 during the forward stroke of shutter 42; and

I follower 68, and spring 7% opens data shutter 34. It will an exposure is being made is unimpeded bycoupling of the picture shutter 42 to the data shutter 34. it is only during the return motion of the picture shutter 42 that earn 72 carried by the picture shutter engages cam follower 68 and raises shutter 34 against the relatively weak bias of its opening spring '74).

By the foregoing mechanism, a single solenoid is eii'ective to operate two shutters, one of which has an extremely short open time and the other or" which has as long an open time as may be desired.

A light baiile 84 with its apertures 84a and 8412 provides further assurance that any limited light leakage past the shutters described will be absorbed. Baffle 84 is carried on front plate 19 byrivets passing through bumpers 59 and 52. i

A set of contacts 36 is shown in FIG. 2, mounted on bafile 84 for coordinating the shutter and'the film-feeding operations. Contacts 83 are provided for actuating an electric flash source of illumination (not shown). These sets of contacts are operated by nylon stud 4%; By proper adjustment, contacts 88 can be arranged to close when the shutter hole 42a just starts to cross lens aperture 39. To guard against fogging of the film due to contact sparking, another bafie it? is provided.

It Will be appreciated that those. skilled in the art will readily make various modifications and adaptations of this embodiment that utilize the novel features disclosed. Consequently, the invention should be broadly construed in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention. p

This application is related to a concurrently filed application, Ser. No; 102,225, of Alexander R. Norden, entitled Filrn Feeder, to whichreference may be had for supplemental information as to the film-feeding mechanism and the correlation between the shutter mechanism and the film feeder. Whatis claimed is:

1. A camera including a picture-taking optical system having a first shutter mechanism and a second optical system for projecting a data image adjacent to the image produced by said first optical system, said first shutter.

mechanism having a high-speed shutter and having reciprocating actuating means producing an exposure durso longas the rotary. solenoid 54 remains energized, the z datashutter remains open. Upon return of the picture For this purpose, data shutter 54 has anaxially movable pivot 64 and is surrounded by a compression spring 66 that biases pivot 64 to the right in FIG. 7. Accordingly,

68 is secured to shutter blade 34 by a rivet. Torsion spring 7% biases shutter blade 34 counterclockwise (FIG;

4 and 5, cam. 72 ,is withdrawn from contact with cam shutter 42 to-its initial position, the data shutter is again closed.

T spring 66 biases shutterblade 34 against stationary walla 32 in which aperture 3t is formed. Cam-following roller ing its forward operating stroke,; and a second shutter having a part engaged by a part of said first shutter mechanism and thereby held closed, said second shutter having an opening spring and being-released for spring-opening in response to movement of the mechanism of said first shutter during said forward operating stroke, and being reclosed during the return stroke thereof.

I 2. A camera including a picture-taking optical systemhaving a first shutter mechanism, a second opticalsystem arranged to project a data image adjacent to the image of said picture-taking optical system, said first shutter mechanism including a high speed shutter operable in :a plane substantially parallelto said imagesand said secondoptical system including two mirrors disposed to effect two substantially right-angle bends in the optical second shutter is provided with a cam follower and 00-' operates with a reciprocable cam forming part of said first shutter to open and close during respective forward and return cam strokes.

- 4. A camera including firstand second optical systems arranged to project side-by-side images at a film plane, said optical systems having first and'second shutters, respectively, an electromagnet connected to said first shutter and arranged to produce a high-speed exposure stroke, and a spring arranged to operate said first shutter and said electromagnet in a return stroke, said second shutter having an opening spring and a cam follower, said first shutter including a shutter blade and a cooperating aperture plate and an upstanding cam portion operable against said cam follower to close said second shutter, the bias of said opening spring and said cam follower against said cam acting to press said shutter blade against said aperture plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Esmond Mar. 29, 1899 Ernst Oct. 18, 1927 Fairchild June 2, 1936 Smith May 20, 1958 Rentschler Nov. 11, 1958 Roehrig Nov. 18, 1958 Stein July 28, 1959 

1. A CAMERA INCLUDING A PICTURE-TAKING OPTICAL SYSTEM HAVING A FIRST A SHUTTER MECHANISM AND A SECOND OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR PROJECTING A DATA IMAGE ADJACENT TO THE IMAGE PRODUCED BY SAID FIRST OPTICAL SYSTEM, SAID FIRST SHUTTER MECHANISM HAVING A HIGH-SPEED SHUTTER AND HAVING RECIPROCATING ACTUATING MEANS PRODUCING AN EXPOSURE DURING ITS FORWARD OPERTING STROKE, AND A SECOND SHUTTER HAVING A PART ENGAGED BY A PART OF SAID FIRST SHUTTER MECHANISM AND THEREBY HELD CLOSED, SAID SECOND SHUTTER HAVING AN OPENING SPRING AND BEING RELEASED FOR SPRING-OPENING IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE MECHANSIM OF SAID FIRST 